Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1887-05-28
LONDON LETTERS.
PERSECUTION OF SOCIALISTS
BY THE GOVERNMENT.
Policemen Cheering for Socialism.
Arresting W0rkmen-C Coercion
in England -- Employing
Provocative Agents
TO Start Riots.

LONDON, May G.-The persecu-
ton of the Socialists has commenced
in real earnest. This is an undoubt-
ed proof that the vigorous agitation
on behalf of the workers which the
Social-Democratic Federation has
been carrying on for the past few
years Is beginning to bear fruit, and
that the exploiting classes fear the
Social-Democratic movement which
has now grown too great for them to
stamp out. | have already men
toned the arrest of Williams and
others at Hyde Park. A day or so
offer another member of the s. ID.
+. named Pole was summoned on q
charge of assaulting police con-
stable, although Pole was not near
the spot at the time he was supposed
to have committed the assault.
Williams and Pole, and five of the
men arrested at the same time as
Williams have been sentenced to six
months Imprisonment with hard
labor The charges against the men
were altered to assaults on the police
at the last moment. These heavy
sentences passed on men entirely in
nocent of the charges brought
against them have aroused q general
feeling of Indignation. Williams,
Pole and Stafford, are now ont on
bail pending an appeal against the
decision of the magistrate.
But the most subtle more on the
part of the authorities is the employ
ment of agents provocateurs." s." Our
open-air meetings being always most
ordcrly the government could not
openly proclaim them. Now, how
ever, gangs of roughs, calling them
selves the primrose Anti-Socialist
League, are employed "a break up
our meetings and create disturbances
so that they may be dispersed by the
police in the interest of claw and
order" The Social-Dcmocrats can
obtain no protection from the police;
the latter allow these bands to break
up the meetings and steal literature
without interfering; but should any
Social Democrat retalate he would
be at once arrested for assault. One
of our meetings was broken up in
this manner on April "a; last Sun
day the meeting at Remington was
served in the same way after n strug-
gle. | am sorry to say that our com
rade, James Blackwell, who was in
Chicago at the time of the police at
tack on the Socialist meeting last
year, was arrested on II charge of
assaulting the police and melting to
riot. AS a matter Of fact, knowing
that dead set had been made at
him by the police, he took particular
care to keep out of the scrimmagc,
but he was followed by number of
police and detectives, and arrested.
His case has been heard once at the
Lambeth Police Court and will come
on again next Monday.
Several questions have been asked
in the House of Commons by Messrs.
John Morley, Labouchere, Cunning
ham, Graham, Conybeore, Professor
Stuart and others, concerning the
monstrous sentences on Williams,
Pole and others, and the interference
with peaceful meetings by these
gangs of roughs, all of which the
Tory government have answered in
a most unsatisfactory and shuflling
manner. The Pal Mail Gazette has
pointed out clearly that if magis-
trates are to sentence men to six
months hard labor for what may be
termed a political offence, without
sending them for trial, one of the
most important clauses of the Irish
Coercion Act will be put into effect
in London before people are aware
of it. II. w. LEE.
LONDON, May 1.-The meeting
held by the Remington Branch of